Misrepresentations in the timeshare world .... beware

Eric, you never did explain the question I asked you earlier concerning sellmytimesharenow's business model. We're waiting for your reply.

From the www.sellmytimesharenow.com site below in quotes ... the site never says what they charge to sell a timeshare and if it is an upfront fee company or not. Would you like to clarify the statement in quotes for us, especially the UNFAIR FEE and NO COMMISSIONS part? Do you sell timeshares for free?

If you are NOT an upfront fee timeshare resale salesperson then we have no gripes with you or your company. If you charge a flat commission AFTER the sale then we have no gripes with you or your company.

From your site:

"Don't I Need a Real Estate Broker to Sell My Timeshare?

No. Selling a timeshare property is actually much simpler than selling a piece of traditional real estate. There is absolutely no reason to pay the exorbitant timeshare broker's fees that typically range from 20% to 40% of the timeshare selling price. On top of these ridiculous fees, many brokers charge upfront appraisal fees. This is simply absurd. What you really need to sell timeshare is maximum exposure to the global marketplace. SellMyTimeshareNOW.com will provide you with the most exposure and our staff stands ready to provide you with the assistance you need to bring the sale of your timeshare property to a successful closing. At SellMyTimeshareNOW.com, we eliminate not only the nuisance of dealing with a broker, but also the unfair fee. For the buyer and the seller, NO COMMISSIONS MEANS MONEY SAVED!"

Yet again jayjay let me correct you. WE ARE NOT REAL ESTATE AGENTS!

Guess you didn't read my earlier response then jayjay, the ad expense varies depending on the qualifications of the property and the need of the seller (if they need rental help, etc.) generally the ad cost is lower than most resorts annual maint fee's. If your that interested on how we operate by all means give us a call and we will be happy to explain. [

Generally the ad is lower than the resort's maintenance fees? Give us a break ..... we're talking hundreds of dollars here while Redweek (and other internet listing sites) fees are peanuts compared to your company. Redweek gets far more exposure via the internet with thousands of hits a day from people looking for sales and rentals, and people trust Redweek including buyers, sellers and renters.

Why don't you consider changing your business model to no upfront fees and charging a flat commission based on the (fair market) selling price. I can guarantee that you will be successful and you will be leading all upfront fee resale companies in an ethical direction. Your employess will actually have to work to sell timeshares.

I would be the first to commend you for doing so. Until you do, I will repeat the mantra of NEVER PAY A COMPANY AN UPFRONT FEE TO SELL YOUR TIMESHARE.

Again, I hope all state attorneys general will investigate the practice of upfront fee resale companies as is going on as I type at one such company in Florida.

eric572 wrote:

Guess you didn't read my earlier response then jayjay, the ad expense varies depending on the qualifications of the property and the need of the seller (if they need rental help, etc.) generally the ad cost is lower than most resorts annual maint fee's! If your that interested on how we operate by all means give us a call and we will be happy to explain.

jayjay wrote:

The answer to your question is very simple ... the company pays its overhead after successful sales using the legitimate business model of charging no upfront fee. It's not the client's responsibility to pay the company's overhead before they've done one single thing to sell their timeshare.

You pay your salespeople a commission and a percentage to the company after they have worked hard to sell a timeshare. What's so hard about understanding this business model? It's actucally common sense.

Why people would pay a company an upfront fee to list their timeshare in a computer database is beyond my understanding when the comapny has done absolutely nothing to earn that upfront fee.

eric572 wrote:

So here is the challenge, you are saying that you want a company to promote it's website so buyers can find it BUT you don't want to pay for it until the property is sold. So your stuck in a catch 22, how can a company achieve top search engine results, pay it's employees and operation costs without having any revenue to do it with?

--------------- Interesting posts on both sides. I agree with jayjay that there are people out there that will take hundreds of dollars to basically list the TS on a website. Others who have contacted me tell me they list in all the major newspapers around the world (I have a hard time believing that one). I do not have a problem with a nominal upfront fee. Including the membership fee, it costs me $52/year to post a rental or $62/year to post a sale. Vacation Timeshare Rentals lists several options (free, $19.99/month, $84.99/year, $149.99 lifetime, or 19% commission). An owner can rent and/or sell with one listing. Eric, I checked out your website and I have yet to find out what, if any, are the fees and commissions nor did I see what exactly you would do to increase my chances of selling or getting my business. Would you offer some type of refund if the unit isn't sold in x number of weeks? What incentive do you (or others) have to sell the unit after receiving upfront fees? Are you doing a fair Market Assessment and honestly telling owners what their units will sell for? I see many 2 BDR TS units for sale from my home resort ranging from $4,000 to $15000. Of course these may be in different seasons, but that's not listed in the ad. Anything over $7000-$8000 is pricey for this resort. I'm trying to sell my father's TS (probably only worth 2 grand tops), but I cannot see paying several hundred dollars up front on the chance that you or anyone else can sell the unit quickly. So Eric, here's MY challenge to YOU. Do you offer reliable services at reasonable rates and what are they? Other than place it on your website, what exactly do you do to enhance my ability to sell (or rent) a TS. Can you sell my dad's TS without me paying you a bunch of upfront money? You have a chance to put this matter to rest and prove to jayjay and others that some timeshare sales services are reliable and efficient. Mike

jayjay wrote:

Generally the ad is lower than the resort's maintenance fees? Give us a break ..... we're talking hundreds of dollars here while Redweek (and other internet listing sites) fees are peanuts compared to your company. Redweek gets far more exposure via the internet with thousands of hits a day from people looking for sales and rentals, and people trust Redweek including buyers, sellers and renters.

Ok how many actuall visitors per day and can you prove the number? I can prove we have over 50,000 daily visitors and $5 million plus per week in offers to our clients

Quote:

Why don't you consider changing your business model to no upfront fees and charging a flat commission based on the (fair market) selling price.

Our current business model is working great for our sellers and buyers already but thanks for the suggestion

mike1536 wrote:

what exactly you would do to increase my chances of selling or getting my business.

There are many reasons why we give you a better chance but the main reason in visibility. When people use search engines they click on the natural links that appear. The reason our company has received the success that we have is due to the No. 1 natural rankings we have with all the major buyer terms per example: you can go to google.com (most used search engine in the world) and type in any buying related timeshare term in and we will be found the easiest. We put your timeshare infront of 50,000 people per day which 75% of them are buyers and renters. here is a link if you would like to see for yourself http://extremetracking.com/open;reloads?login=sellmy

Quote:

Would you offer some type of refund if the unit isn't sold in x number of weeks?

I would never gurantee a timeframe since I don't have crystal ball and cannot predict the date the buyer will come, but we never restrict the time that the property stays on the market. So you could take to first offer or the 50th offer. We also have a money back guarantee that states if any other company can sell the timeshare for the current advertised price or higher you are granted a full refund.. so people can market on redweek or wherever at the same time and if they are truely better than you get a refund.

Quote:

What incentive do you (or others) have to sell the unit after receiving upfront fees?

Our incentive is to generate buyers to the website to give you the opportunity to sell your timeshare. Now if we are bringing all these buyers to the site YOU need to have the incentive to price the timeshare correct. Even with over a half a million people to the site per week, if you over price your timeshare no one will buy it.

Quote:

Are you doing a fair Market Assessment and honestly telling owners what their units will sell for?

Fairmarket values are simply research on whats available to a buyer. So if there are currently people charging 4 or 5,000 for your timeshare and the high end people are charging 15,000 I will make you aware of both ends of the market and you make your decision where you price it. We cannot legally tell you where to price your timeshare, I can only give you what the market is offering.

Quote:

I'm trying to sell my father's TS (probably only worth 2 grand tops), but I cannot see paying several hundred dollars up front on the chance that you or anyone else can sell the unit quickly.

Well you have to look at the over all $ you will drop on the property if it doesnt sell. If you list on nominal fee sites generally it takes a long time to sell if at all. Maintenance fees are expensive to pay if you don't use the timeshare. Best I can tell you is contact our company and listen to what we offer. If you are considering selling your timeshare for a couple thousand dollars then your total selling costs will only be a few hundred dollars. Like I said just give us a call (it's free to ask questions) and check us out and do your research on us.

Your current business model is working great for the owner of your company and your salespeople by taking advantage of frustrated timeshare owners that desperately want/need to sell their timeshare(s).

BTW, if you're so successful how come you're not trying to sell timeshares for your clients instead of a no-win argument for you on an internet timeshare forum? Have too much time on your hands? Typical of upfront fee resale companies.

eric572 wrote:

Our current business model is working great for our sellers and buyers already but thaks for the suggestion

Funny Jayjay, so bashing companies without any proof of your claims is all you do.

jayjay wrote:

Your current business model is working great for the owner of your company and your salespeople by taking advantage of frustrated timeshare owners that desperately want/need to sell their timeshare(s).

BTW, if you're so successful how come you're not trying to sell timeshares for your clients instead of a no-win argument for you on an internet timeshare forum? Have too much time on your hands? Typical of upfront fee resale companies.

eric572 wrote:

Our current business model is working great for our sellers and buyers already but thaks for the suggestion

eric572 wrote:

mike1536 wrote:

what exactly you would do to increase my chances of selling or getting my business.

There are many reasons why we give you a better chance but the main reason in visibility. When people use search engines they click on the natural links that appear. The reason our company has received the success that we have is due to the No. 1 natural rankings we have with all the major buyer terms per example: you can go to google.com (most used search engine in the world) and type in any buying related timeshare term in and we will be found the easiest. We put your timeshare infront of 50,000 people per day which 75% of them are buyers and renters. here is a link if you would like to see for yourself http://extremetracking.com/open;reloads?login=sellmy

Quote:

Would you offer some type of refund if the unit isn't sold in x number of weeks?

I would never gurantee a timeframe since I don't have crystal ball and cannot predict the date the buyer will come, but we never restrict the time that the property stays on the market. So you could take to first offer or the 50th offer. We also have a money back guarantee that states if any other company can sell the timeshare for the current advertised price or higher you are granted a full refund.. so people can market on redweek or wherever at the same time and if they are truely better than you get a refund.

Quote:

What incentive do you (or others) have to sell the unit after receiving upfront fees?

Our incentive is to generate buyers to the website to give you the opportunity to sell your timeshare. Now if we are bringing all these buyers to the site YOU need to have the incentive to price the timeshare correct. Even with over a half a million people to the site per week, if you over price your timeshare no one will buy it.

Quote:

Are you doing a fair Market Assessment and honestly telling owners what their units will sell for?

Fairmarket values are simply research on whats available to a buyer. So if there are currently people charging 4 or 5,000 for your timeshare and the high end people are charging 15,000 I will make you aware of both ends of the market and you make your decision where you price it. We cannot legally tell you where to price your timeshare, I can only give you what the market is offering.

Quote:

I'm trying to sell my father's TS (probably only worth 2 grand tops), but I cannot see paying several hundred dollars up front on the chance that you or anyone else can sell the unit quickly.

Well you have to look at the over all $ you will drop on the property if it doesnt sell. If you list on nominal fee sites generally it takes a long time to sell if at all. Maintenance fees are expensive to pay if you don't use the timeshare. Best I can tell you is contact our company and listen to what we offer. If you are considering selling your timeshare for a couple thousand dollars then your total selling costs will only be a few hundred dollars. Like I said just give us a call (it's free to ask questions) and check us out and do your research on us.

-------- Thanks one and all for the input

eric, your company's website is committing false advertising. You said on this very forum that sellmytimesharenow.com charges an upfront fee of approximately what a year's maintenance fee would be (we're talking hundreds of dollars here) just to enter the timeshare in a database before being sold, yet your site states contradictary (below in quotes) to what you have stated in this forum.

You definitely charge an unfair upfront fee/commission (approximately a year's maintenance fee) and you don't state that on your website. I guess you use the lie on the website to snare people into thinking they'll get a good deal with your company then baiting and switching your tactics by telling prospective clients that the hundreds of dollars upfront fee is for overhead .... yeah right .... and they fall for it not knowing any better.

I hope the Florida attorney general is made aware of the false advertising on your website especially the last paragraph, which is an outright lie.

Your tactics are the very reason that upfront fee resale companies have horrible reputations and thanks to forums like these people are starting to get the message, but many people were burned too late and lost a bundle of money dealing with companies like yours. There are numerous testimonials right here in these forums from people dealing with upfront fee resale companies. Your company is no different.

How do you people sleep at night, that's what I'd like to know? You evidently have no conscience.

From the sellmytimesharenow.com website:

"Don't I Need a Real Estate Broker to Sell My Timeshare?

No. Selling a timeshare property is actually much simpler than selling a piece of traditional real estate. There is absolutely no reason to pay the exorbitant timeshare broker's fees that typically range from 20% to 40% of the timeshare selling price. On top of these ridiculous fees, many brokers charge upfront appraisal fees. This is simply absurd.

What you really need to sell timeshare is maximum exposure to the global marketplace. SellMyTimeshareNOW.com will provide you with the most exposure and our staff stands ready to provide you with the assistance you need to bring the sale of your timeshare property to a successful closing.

At SellMyTimeshareNOW.com, we eliminate not only the nuisance of dealing with a broker, but also the unfair fee. For the buyer and the seller, NO COMMISSIONS MEANS MONEY SAVED!"

Misrepresentation is exactly what happened to us and I have been trying this past year to retrieve the money lost by this misrepresentation and no one at the Management level will take the responsibilty of crrecting the problem we had or the loss of money their employee caused us. We are over the road truck drivers that joined Whispering Rock Resorts. In talking with our agent about bringing our children out from Detroit to Phoenix and given this agent the itenery of where we wanted to go with the family, Grand Canyon, Sedona, and Hoover Dam, we trusted him to make the arrangements for us, because that's what we thought they did... Duh! will this agent lives in Phoenix and proceeded to get us tickets. Will he got thte tickets at a price we could afford, told us that he would order them with or credit card, we gave him permission to get the tickets, and he ordered the tickets, by the time we were able to pull it up online, we discovered he purchased the tickets leaving Phoenix, going to Detroit returning back to Phoenix.. when did they move the Grand Canyon to Detroit. We have spent a year trying to resolve this and with no luck.. we are out $1350. Yes beware of lies and mispresentation from these companies, Especially WHISPERING ROCK RESORTS....all they want is to make that sale and it doesn't matter what they promise because after you sign that dotted line they just pass the buck....or ignore you completely like they have done us.

ottos4 wrote:

...all they want is to make that sale and it doesn't matter what they promise because after you sign that dotted line they just pass the buck....or ignore you completely like they have done us.

Otto,

You might try Legal Aid where you live. On the other hand, I'm not you, but if I were, I'd contact the AZ Attorney General's office. Tourism is their business, so they don't have a very good sense of humor about this.

I would also contest this purchase with the credit card company, but you have to do it in the first 90 days or so from the charge.

On the Internet, the Better Business Bureau is very good, so I would register a complaint there, too.

otto, the management of the resort in question replied to one of your posts here on Redweek. He said he was not aware of your situation or the salesperson involved. He wondered if you were referring to the right resort. You might do a search for his reply to you.

ottos4 wrote:

...all they want is to make that sale and it doesn't matter what they promise because after you sign that dotted line they just pass the buck....or ignore you completely like they have done us.

ottos4 wrote:

Misrepresentation is exactly what happened to us and I have been trying this past year to retrieve the money lost by this misrepresentation and no one at the Management level will take the responsibilty of crrecting the problem we had or the loss of money their employee caused us. We are over the road truck drivers that joined Whispering Rock Resorts. In talking with our agent about bringing our children out from Detroit to Phoenix and given this agent the itenery of where we wanted to go with the family, Grand Canyon, Sedona, and Hoover Dam, we trusted him to make the arrangements for us, because that's what we thought they did... Duh! will this agent lives in Phoenix and proceeded to get us tickets. Will he got thte tickets at a price we could afford, told us that he would order them with or credit card, we gave him permission to get the tickets, and he ordered the tickets, by the time we were able to pull it up online, we discovered he purchased the tickets leaving Phoenix, going to Detroit returning back to Phoenix.. when did they move the Grand Canyon to Detroit. We have spent a year trying to resolve this and with no luck.. we are out $1350. Yes beware of lies and mispresentation from these companies, Especially WHISPERING ROCK RESORTS....all they want is to make that sale and it doesn't matter what they promise because after you sign that dotted line they just pass the buck....or ignore you completely like they have done us.

Otto; Per Jayjay's post above, the Manager at Wispering Rock Resort has been trying to contact you and even left a phone number for you to call him.

I can't find the orginial post for reference and I don't know to search the postings. But would suggest you go back to your orginial post, if you remember where it was and you will find the info there. You then need to follow up with both Whispering Rocks and this forum. Don't file a complaint online and then disappear.

carries25 wrote:

ottos4 wrote:

...all they want is to make that sale and it doesn't matter what they promise because after you sign that dotted line they just pass the buck....or ignore you completely like they have done us.

Otto,

You might try Legal Aid where you live. On the other hand, I'm not you, but if I were, I'd contact the AZ Attorney General's office. Tourism is their business, so they don't have a very good sense of humor about this.

I would also contest this purchase with the credit card company, but you have to do it in the first 90 days or so from the charge.

On the Internet, the Better Business Bureau is very good, so I would register a complaint there, too.

Carrie; rather then everybody jumping on the "let's get attorneys involved" bandwagon, I propose that we should all make an honest effort evaluate the problem first. To many times folks are inclined to start blaming someone else, when in reality it was they who caused the orginial problem, or, made it worse.

In this particular case the G.M of Whispering Rocks was trying to reach Otto to find out what the problem was. Several of us posted to Otto, but he obviously has not communicated with anyone. Otto made the complaint and now it is his job to follow thru.

daveo34 wrote:

I am finding it very difficult to understand all the rules & costs involved with my membership of club la costa, are there any long time members who can help to put my mind at rest?

Hi! I have owned a time share since 2002 and so far I have loved it. In fact we have traded to club La Costa in Spain and enjoyed our stay very much. The first thing is understanding what you own and how it works. (I am hopping that he salesman did not misslead you. It easy for that to happen). After that, you need to learn how to get the most from it. Learn your internal club workings first then learn how to work the external exchanges. Most important enjoy your travels, go with little or no expectaions and you might be supprised. My family and I have stayed in some really cool places. Only one was a little dissapointing. See you in spain.

jons29 wrote:

Carrie; rather then everybody jumping on the "let's get attorneys involved" bandwagon, I propose that we should all make an honest effort evaluate the problem first.

To many times folks are inclined to start blaming someone else, when in reality it was they who caused the orginial problem, or, made it worse.

In this particular case the G.M of Whispering Rocks was trying to reach Otto to find out what the problem was. Several of us posted to Otto, but he obviously has not communicated with anyone. Otto made the complaint and now it is his job to follow thru.

Dear Jons29,

Just because someone consults an attorney doesn't mean he is litigious. An attorney can best explain your rights and obligations in a contract situation. I always recommend against suing, since it really hurts you and your life, even when you are in the right, and even when you are winning. It is always the very last choice to pursue if there is no other way to make it right, and if making it right is absolutely necessary.

Contacting the AG can lead to changes in business behaviour, and in the law. As the AG sees what is happening and the flagrance of some behaviours, he may decide to investigate.

The timeshare resale industry has finally arrived, and applying the rules of realty is the thing to do.

jayjay wrote:

Although timeshares had a very bad reputation in the 1970s/1980s, in the last several years their reputation has gotten better with the advent of high end names such as Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt and the many ultra nice accomodations (apartments and amenities) in other resorts.

However, there are still misrepresentations and lies a prospective timeshare buyer should be aware of.

Developer Sales:

1. Lies told by (some) developer timeshare salespeople are that you can trade your week for anywhere in the exchange company's wishbook (catalog of resorts). Not true as it depends on supply, demand, season you own and VEP (Vacation Experience Profile) of your resort.

2. If you should desire to sell your timeshare week in the future, you can make a profit by doing so. If anything you will take a huge loss when trying to sell a developer bought timeshare (there are very few timeshares that hold their value).

3. You can rent your timeshare on years you don't use it and make a profit. Many owners who rent do well by merely recovering their maintenance fees if they can rent their week at all. Again, supply and demand are the key words in the equation for both rentals and resales.

4. Many developer salespeople will omit telling you about the 7+- day rescission period in your contract (called a cooling off period) where you can rescind your purchase without penalty. Please read your contract backwards and forwards.

5. This deal is good only for today.

5. They don't tell the prospective buyer about the resale market, but that's not their job. It's up to the consumer to educate themselves before buying any timeshare.

Resales:

1. Beware of upfront fee resale companies. They take your money and you will more than likely never hear from the company again.

2. Beware of companies such as Timeshare Relief that will tell you your timeshare is worthless and they will take it off your hands for $3000 +- and turn around and sell it on Ebay for $1.

There are many other misrepresentations and scams regarding timeshares. Before you commit to buying any timeshare, whether developer or resale, please educate yourself on the topic. Edcuation is knowledge and knowlege = power for the consumer.

If anyone can add to the timeshare misrepresention list above, please do so. Those I listed were some of the main things to look for off the top of my head.

TIMESHARE SCAMS Timeshare Scams will not work if Sellers do not send the Scam Artist any money. Beware of whom you are dealing with. How can you tell if it is a Scam Artist? If he asks you for money up front or ahead of the closing it is generally a scam. All fees can be taken out of a closing if your timeshare is truly sold. If you are advertising your unit yourself on a reputable advertising website you should not pay more than $50.00 for an ad.

• ADVERTISING SCHEME

This is the most common scam in the timeshare world today. Upfront fee companies soliciting with postcards, telemarketing, sending emails to Sellers of timeshares that they can sell their timeshare for prices comparable to or for more than what the resort is selling for. This is the first lie. These Companies have almost convinced the public and the Government that they are legitimate. It isn’t the upfront fee that is the scam. It is the lie they tell you to get the upfront fee. They will tell you this is the only fee you will pay. This is another lie. If it is an advertising company that is actually selling timeshare they are probably working with a Broker that will sell your timeshare and charge you a commission. So what the advertising company becomes is a middle man that is lying to you about not having to pay another fee. Some of these companies actually own the Brokerage that will be selling the timeshare and charging you a commission. Unfortunately the Owners of these companies know how to go around the laws that are set in place to control advertising companies. There is a lot of work to be done in this area by the Government. There are many stories that go with this scam. They will tell you they have open houses at the resorts. They will tell you they have sold your type of unit for large dollar amounts. They have Buyers waiting for weeks like yours. They say they deal with Real Estate Brokers that will also assist in selling your weeks. What they are selling is overpriced advertising that very seldom ever sells timeshare. They have sold you a bill of goods. The telemarketer that calls you to sell you an advertising scam is sitting in a boiler room type environment. They are soliciting other owners to sell or rent their unit. They are not Brokers or agents. By law they cannot show your timeshare to anyone, charge a commission on the sale or advise you of a recommended asking price. Providing you with an estimate of value or a recommended asking price is an act of being a licensed real estate agent/broker in most States and therefore may be fraudulent without a current and valid license. Tell that to your credit card company to get a refund of the advance fee. All they are able to do is put your advertisement online and wait for an interested party to find it. You can do that yourself and save hundreds of dollars.

• YOUR TIMESHARE IS SOLD.

They call and tell you they have sold your timeshare. All they need to do now is the title search. You will have to federal express a check to them for the title search. It is $700.00. The fed ex fee can be deducted from your closing fees. You should not have to send any money prior to the closing. The $700.00 will be paid by the Buyer at the closing. The Buyer doesn’t want to pay the fee ahead of time in case there is a title problem. The Scam Artist receives the check and then sends you a legal looking contract. They may send the contract ahead of time to make it look legitimate. The Scam Artist will then disappear, disconnect the 800 number you are using, or call you to tell you the Buyer backed out but they will use this title search for the next sale on your timeshare.

• BUYING TIMESHARE FOR A NATIONAL COMPANY.

The Scam Artist states that they are purchasing timeshare weeks for the executives of a large nationally known company. This nationally known company is looking for timeshare units to buy to rent out and use with their employees. In order to be guaranteed a spot for the national company to purchase your timeshare you must reserve a spot so that they will not purchase someone else’s unit. You must wonder how they could have placed your unit on the market for sale if you never gave them an approval. In all cases the Owners are offered a large amount of money for their units. This Scam moved from State to State.

• GUARANTEED SALE SCAM

Watch out for companies that guarantee a sale. In an attempt to get your money upfront some companies will guarantee to sell your timeshare. No company can guarantee your timeshare will sell. They can guarantee that they will advertise it until sold. They will tell you that you will get your money back at closing if anyone else sells it before they do.

• GUARANTEE AN OFFER

Be cautious of companies who guarantee to bring you an offer on your timeshare. What typically happens in these cases is that the same company who is guaranteeing to bring an offer, will themselves make you the offer for a ridiculous price; say $100. This keeps their guarantee of an offer “legitimate,” but obviously isn't what you had in mind. If they are going to bring you an offer they don’t need an upfront fee to bring the offer.

• THE BUYER WAITING SCAM

You receive a call that someone has a buyer waiting to purchase your property. Of course you'll be required to pay a fee in order for them to forward this buyer to you. Once you pay the fee, the buyer either suddenly gets cold feet, or you never hear another word from the person or their company again. Sometimes they will tell you they are working with an out of town Buyer and have to have an answer now and will ask you for a fee for various reasons. All of the reasons are bogus.

• APPRAISALS

The only time you should pay a fee for an appraisal for a timeshare is NEVER. At this time it is almost impossible to appraise a timeshare that is sold on the resale market. There is not enough data complied to produce a bona fide appraisal. If you need an appraisal for a divorce or the IRS you should make sure you are using a licensed appraiser who is risking his license to give you an appraisal.

• PAYS FOR ALL CLOSING COSTS.

This is supposed to pay for all closing costs when the unit closes. Closing costs are paid at time of closing not before. Any excuse given for this is a lie.

• SMALL COMMISSION WHEN SOLD.

All the commission should be paid when sold. Why do they need any of it ahead of time?

• PAYS FOR TITLE CHARGES.

Wrong. Title companies do not collect their fees prior to closing. You will get your money back at closing. Wrong. There will never be a closing.

• VACATION CLUB.

They ask you to meet them at a hotel so that you will never have to pay for a maintenance fee again. All of a sudden you belong to a Vacation Club and you have parted with several thousand dollars to join a vacation club. Your timeshare is then given to a person to sell on eBay for whatever it will bring. The person selling the timeshare gets the profit from the sale so they don’t care how much it sells for. The person selling you the Vacation Club gets your money. The value of timeshares has decreased due to the large amount of these timeshares showing up on eBay and other sites so every one gets scammed with this one.

• DONATE YOUR TIMESHARE.

If it is a donation you should not have to pay anything. Especially for an “appraisal” to prove the value. Check to make sure the company you are donating to isn’t just advertising the timeshare on eBay and getting the profits as in the example of the Vacation Club. Before donating, determine how and when the deed is recorded and the resort is notified of your donation so you are off the hook with the resort for future fees! Then follow up on this to be sure it is done.

• WE BUY YOUR TIMESHARE.

But you must pay closing cost, appraisal etc. If you have to pay anything to sell your timeshare don’t do it.

jayjay wrote:

Eric, you never did explain the question I asked you earlier concerning sellmytimesharenow's business model. We're waiting for your reply.

From the www.sellmytimesharenow.com site below in quotes ... the site never says what they charge to sell a timeshare and if it is an upfront fee company or not. Would you like to clarify the statement in quotes for us, especially the UNFAIR FEE and NO COMMISSIONS part? Do you sell timeshares for free?

If you are NOT an upfront fee timeshare resale salesperson then we have no gripes with you or your company. If you charge a flat commission AFTER the sale then we have no gripes with you or your company.

From your site:

"Don't I Need a Real Estate Broker to Sell My Timeshare?

No. Selling a timeshare property is actually much simpler than selling a piece of traditional real estate. There is absolutely no reason to pay the exorbitant timeshare broker's fees that typically range from 20% to 40% of the timeshare selling price. On top of these ridiculous fees, many brokers charge upfront appraisal fees. This is simply absurd. What you really need to sell timeshare is maximum exposure to the global marketplace. SellMyTimeshareNOW.com will provide you with the most exposure and our staff stands ready to provide you with the assistance you need to bring the sale of your timeshare property to a successful closing. At SellMyTimeshareNOW.com, we eliminate not only the nuisance of dealing with a broker, but also the unfair fee. For the buyer and the seller, NO COMMISSIONS MEANS MONEY SAVED!"

When we shopped sellmytimesharenow we were referred to a Broker. We called as if we were a Buyer and we were contacted by a Broker. We shop every website on the Internet so that we can keep up with the marketing. We are now aware of how sellmytimesharenow works.